Letters from NYC

Sample letter to a friend in the U.S.

Dear Reader: This post was inspired by an email from a reader in Norway that was asking for help with writing a letter to a friend. Below you will find a sample letter I created that anyone can use to send to a new friend that is living or from the United States. You can personalize your letter by choosing one of the sample phrases I have included in the bracket [ ]sections specific advice about that part of the letter or sample pieces of text you can use. If the bracket sections contain choices then please choose only one and delete the rest. If you use more than one, you must change the "or" to an "and". Feel free to contact me lettersfromnyc [at] yahoo [dot] com with any questions you have.

Your Full Name [first and sur/family name]
Your Return Address [where you can receive mail]
Your City, Your Country Your postal code
[line space]
[line space]
[line space]
[line space]
Full Date [such as January 1, 2007 that's the format used in the U.S.]
[line space]
[line space]
[line space]
[line space]
Use either: Dear [insert friend's name] or Hi [insert friend's name, like
"Dear Mike:" or "Hi Sue:" whichever you think fits best how you feel.]
[line space]
[line space]
Start with one of the following opening paragraphs:
Opening Paragraph 1: It has been a long time since we last spoke. I hope you
are well. I have been busy with.... [insert a few general activities that have prevented you from writing sooner such as: school, work, or family obligations].

Opening Paragraph 2: I hope you are well. It feels like such a long time since the last time I saw you. I know it's only been several weeks since then but it feels like much longer. I hope you are well.

Continue your letter by including a few more details of what's going on in your life:
I spend most of my free time [choose one: "helping my mother/father with chores around the house"; or "helping with my brothers and sisters"; or "doing a lot of school work"; or "at the beach trying to unwind from school/work"]. Though it is a lot of [work or fun], I like doing it because I like being [helpful or useful or busy.] My [family or friends] also enjoy me doing this because it [helps or entertains] them.

Here's a sample of a more detailed paragraph I recently sent to a friend in
Denmark:
This past weekend I went to visit my family, my sister, her husband and my niece and nephew, whom I have not seen in 3 months. I cannot believe how much my niece and nephew had grown since I last saw them. Before I new it Sunday night had arrived and it was time to go back home and begin to get ready for the week ahead. It seems that whenever we are having fun time goes by so fast!

Here's a sample of a general closing paragraph. You should delete what you
don't want to include:
I hope all has been going well for you too. How is [school or work]? How are your [parents or relatives or family]? What have you been doing with your free time, anything fun that you can share? Do you have any plans to do something interesting in the upcoming weeks? I would like to hear what you have been doing with yourself since we last ["spoke to" or "wrote to" or "saw"] each other. I hope to read you soon!

Your friend,

[your first name or nick name]

Posted by Michele at February 22, 2006 10:03 AM